This invention relates to a printing control method and apparatus and, more particularly, to a printing control method and apparatus for printing an image upon enlarging the same.
Printers available in the art are equipped with a blank-paper economizing function and an enlarging and continuous printing function. This function may be called a poster printing function. The former function does not allow printing on pages of blank paper that do not possess an image. The latter function enlarges an image contained on one page of paper and prints the enlarged image on a plurality of sheets of paper upon first dividing up the enlarged image in such a manner that the enlarged image can be obtained by joining the plurality of sheets together. If the poster printing function is used, the user reconstructs the image by joining together the output sheets of paper in an order that conforms to the manner in which the image was divided.
Since the enlarging and continuous printing function is a function provided by a printer, a printer not having the enlarging and continuous printing function cannot perform printing using the poster printing function.
With the enlarging and continuous printing function, the order of output is decided by the printer and the sheets that have been output must be joined together in this order.
Further, in regard to enlarging an image in poster printing, the user specifies the image enlargement magnification directly as by a percentage. However, the user cannot specify the size of each area bearing a divided image or the manner in which these areas are to be arranged.
Furthermore, the progress of poster printing is indicated based upon the number of pages occupied by original images prior to their enlargement. When each page having a divided image after enlargement is output, therefore, there is no indication of how far printing has progressed.
In addition, when the poster printing function is used, there are instances where, depending upon the printer resolution, printing cannot be performed normally owing to limitations imposed by the graphic engine. There is no way for the user to know this beforehand.